Category Archives: Global efforts

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This comment would NEVER come from me… but I’ve heard it (at least 20 times from family and friends over the past three months).

Each time I want to scream. I desperately want to get in arguments and pull out all the facts. My husband pleads with me to “let it go” and brings me down to (our undeniably snowy) earth. But I do have to share the reality with them….

I understand how this is a quick, easy argument from anyone who doesn’t believe in global warming or climate change. It seems logical, but it’s not supported by science. The fact: hotter air can hold more moisture and this, in turn, creates and releases massive amounts of snow when the temperatures are below freezing. This is the same reason hurricanes have become so destructive… warming waters, rising sea levels and an increase in the intensity of the storm.

We could all argue the point until we’re blue in the face (and yes, the naysayers would tell you you’re turning blue because you’re freezing your a$$ off!) but the evidence of the earth’s temperature rising is factual. It’s on record. The 11 warmest years on record have occurred in the last 13 (and that record dates back to 1880!)

We can debate (until we’re BLUER in the face) if a portion of that is caused by human behavior, activity and INaction, but that’s another huge conversation.

Take a look at this quick interview with a physics professor to prepare your defense to family and friends.

So, Mom Goes Green just returned from a nice, long vacation at the OBX with my fantastic family! There is nothing like fresh ocean air each and every morning, noon and night. We experienced everything again this year… from dunes to surf, to sun to moon…

Surely I didn’t leave my green principals behind. We conserved (lights off, no waste), we recycled (more on that in a moment) and simply enjoyed the purity of a beautiful environment.

Truly, after evaluating our trip, I feel no guilt. We were honestly conscious not to be wasteful (especially three minutes after arriving in our condo and experiencing a power outage!). We made sure not to waste energy or over-consume — from lights to waiting for a full dishwasher — and even purchased all of our usual organic food and earth-friendly products.

We recycled absolutely everything too. This ended up being much to the dismay of my dear husband who was sent to deliver our recyclables to the local recycling center on the morning of our departure and, as he approached with an ENORMOUS industrial-sized bag of recycling, was informed that “they must be sorted”… ewwww, (*heavy sigh*) … he had to pick each and every item from the bag and place it in the proper receptacle… and for me (*smooch, smooch*) he did it, and nothing met the trash can!

I could go on and on about all of our practices but, for me, the shining moment was when I took time to sneak to the beach in the late-night, moonlit hours while everyone else was fast asleep and stood there, awestruck. How amazing and peaceful.

With the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy… I felt so lucky that this planet actually ALLOWS us to live here. Really… everything we need, in perfect harmony, supplied by this beautiful planet (see, I told you it would sound cheesy!) but the moon and the waves… just me and an empty beach… truly, I invite you to take a moment, stop, and just think about it. It’s pretty incredible that LIFE can be so generously sustained here.

THAT is why I do what I do… I refuse to abuse this “gift”… thank you, Mother Earth…

Is World Environment Day new to you? Last year was the first time I’d ever heard of it myself. It actually commemorates the day the United Nations General Assembly established its first global effort aimed at protecting the environment in 1972. It’s meant to bring worldwide awareness to the environment, enhance political attention and bring action for future generations.

This year’s theme is “Many Species. One Planet. One Future” and will celebrate the incredible diversity of life on Earth as part of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. Seems a bit ironic considering we’re into day 46 of the tragic and catastrophic oil spill in our Gulf, doesn’t it? The pessimistic side of me would say that it’s more like “Destroying Species. One Corporation. Devastated Future”, but the optimistic side of me keeps hoping that changes will come and there will be lessons learned so this is never, ever, allowed to happen again.

For today, I will push the soapbox aside and just invite you to join me in celebrating this planet and our environment. WED has a list of things you can do, from A to Z, to make a change and make a difference. (Actually, the list ends at W… go figure… but there are still plenty of things you can do!)

Despite everything happening that is completely out of our control, don’t be discouraged. While we can’t control many things in our world, we can certainly control what happens in our own little corner of it!

I’m shocked to discover that I am celebrating my 300th post! I was trying to figure out what my earth shattering topic should be but sadly, I’m feeling discouraged.

Why? Well, because some days these efforts really feel in vane, don’t they?

The news seems to be filled with events that are so out-of-our-control that its sometimes difficult not to feel silly when I put my tiny little cream cheese box in the recycling bin, or try to find better ways to do laundry and dishes, or plan my errand-route efficiently to drive less…

WHAT are we doing to our planet and ourselves? It’s mind-boggling… and heartbreaking…

So today, instead of letting myself feel discouraged I’m going to try and turn that around and remind myself that I can only control my own little corner of the world… but I CAN do something. I can take charge of how I treat our world, what my family consumes and use my voice to constantly remind people to use their actions and voices to MAKE A CHANGE!

Your choices matter… our voices will be heard… don’t give up… only WE have the power to make a difference.

This Thursday, April 22, 2010, marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day! Created in 1970, it is a way to remind us to appreciate nature and this amazing planet we live on, and learn how to protect our environment and all of its inhabitants. While it is celebrated in the spring in the northern hemisphere, it is actually observed in the autumn in the southern hemisphere (both days being the exact “middle point” of the season).

This year, find a way to celebrate. Take notice of all that we HAVE to celebrate and no matter how small and insignificant your actions may seem, they matter… they add up… they make a difference…

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About Mom Goes Green

I'm not perfect. My life is far from being as green as I would like it to be, but I’m trying…and I’m learning. I just want to leave this world knowing that I did all I could manage to do. This blog will be my journey…both the good and the bad, mistakes included. Click here to read more...